Cigarette butts and plastic are the most common types of litter found in the natural environment, and that goes for all of us. On a global scale^{1 and 2}, than Switzerland-wide³. With the dozens of collections made by the Summit Foundation as part of the Clean-Up Tour, We also note that the majority of abandoned waste is plastic and cigarette butts. In Switzerland, 14,000 tonnes of plastics⁴ ends up in the environment every year, 2,700 tonnes of it as a result of littering.).

This pollution is problematic, because plastics and cigarette butts are not biodegradable⁵. Plastic can remain in the environment for several hundred years before disappearing. The same goes for cigarette butts, whose filter is made of cellulose acetate, a type of plastic. What's more, plastics contain additives that are sources of environmental pollutants⁶. It's even worse for cigarette butts, which contain more than 150 environmentally toxic substances⁷, including nicotine, arsenic and heavy metals.

Plastic waste and cigarette butts are harmful to wildlife. In particular, they can ingest them⁸, These ingestions can have serious consequences for wildlife. These ingestions can have serious consequences for wildlife. They contaminate the animals with substances contained in the waste. What's more, ingesting plastic or cigarette butts can create a false sensation of satiety⁹, This causes animals to stop feeding and can lead to their death. Furthermore, the ingestion of cigarette butts has not only been observed in wildlife, but has also been documented in the literature. for pets and young children¹⁰ !

Another threat to wildlife posed by plastics is the tangle¹¹. Animals can be trapped by plastics, which can injure them, limit their ability to move, suffocate them and therefore lead to their death.

To limit the amount of plastic and cigarette butts in the environment, remember to adopt the right behaviour:

• When out and about, take a bag to carry your rubbish to the next bin.
• Limit the use of single-use plastics (packaging, PET bottles, etc.). Instead, opt for a water bottle and reusable containers.
• If you're a smoker, remember to take a pocket ashtray, like the ones in the Ecobox¹² offered by the Summit Foundation.

Let's be responsible and fight together against littering to protect the fauna in our mountains

1. Vanapalli, Kumar Raja, Hari Bhakta Sharma, Shaivya Anand, et al. «Cigarettes Butt Littering: The Story of the World's Most Littered Item from the Perspective of Pollution, Remedial Actions, and Policy Measures». Journal of Hazardous Materials 453 (July 2023): 131387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131387.
2. Avio, Carlo Giacomo, Stefania Gorbi, and Francesco Regoli. «Plastics and Microplastics in the Oceans: From Emerging Pollutants to Emerged Threat». Marine Environmental Research 128 (July 2017): 2-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.05.012.
3. FOEN, Federal Office for the Environment. «Waste around Swiss lakes and rivers». Accessed on 12 September 2025. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-abfall/abfall--dossiers/littering-schweizer-gewaesser.html.
4. FOEN, Federal Office for the Environment. «Plastics in the environment». Accessed on 10 September 2025. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-abfall/abfallpolitik-und-massnahmen/kunststoffe-in-umwelt.html.
5. Garcês, Andreia, and Isabel Pires. «The Detrimental Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Wildlife». Research in Ecology, 20 May 2024, 42-. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v6i2.6294.
6. Gateuille, David, and Emmanuel Naffrechoux. «Transport of Persistent Organic Pollutants: Another Effect of Microplastic Pollution?» WIREs Water 9, n^o 5 (2022): e1600. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1600.
7. Araújo, Maria Christina B., and Monica F. Costa. «From Plant to Waste: The Long and Diverse Impact Chain Caused by Tobacco Smoking. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, n^o 15 (2019): 2690. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16152690.
8. Napper, I E, and R C Thompson. Plastics and the Environment. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112522-072642.
9. Garcês, Andreia, and Isabel Pires. «The Detrimental Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Wildlife. Research in Ecology, 20 May 2024, 42-46. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v6i2.6294.
10. Novotny, Thomas E, Sarah N Hardin, Lynn R Hovda, Dale J Novotny, Mary Kay McLean, and Safdar Khan. «Tobacco and Cigarette Butt Consumption in Humans and Animals. Tobacco Control 20, n^o Suppl 1 (2011): i17-20. https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.2011.043489.
11. Napper, I E, and R C Thompson. Plastics and the Environment. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112522-072642.
12. https://summit-foundation.org/shop/